Doing Just Fine
by divine one
Summary: Don Lamb and Veronica Mars will always do just fine without one another. But imagine how wonderfully they'd do WITH one another.
1. Acerbic Wit

Doing Just Fine  
Chap 1 of 3 or 4, Acerbic Wit  
Author Devylish  
Fandom Veronica Mars  
Pairing: Veronica Lamb DoVe  
Words 1029  
Rating R or T  
Spoilers Season 1  
Warning Language  
A/N: I know nothing about airbags 

* * *

"I was doing just fine before you arrived, thank you very much!" Veronica crossed her arms over her chest and huddled against the passenger side door.

Lamb's responding snort of laughter as he guided the car down the shadowy deserted roadway, grated what few nerves Veronica had left.

"Right Mars. You were doing 'just fine…!' That's why you were 100 miles away from Neptune, out in the middle of Butt-Fuck-Nowhere, with Armand DeSoto and two of his goons backing you into a corner in an abandoned gas station." Lamb's voice dropped from a mocking tone to a gravely growl, "you didn't have your phone with you –"

Veronica interrupted defensively, "I did have it! DeSoto took it and broke it!"

"— You didn't have a weapon!" Lamb snapped back at her.

"I didn't have anywhere to hide my taser!" she countered.

Lamb briefly looked away from the road and slid his eyes over her, exasperation and anger battling for control. Finally, he bit out -- "I wasn't going to mention your get-up, but since _you_ brought the topic up: 'What.The.Fuck' were you thinking Mars?! DeSoto escaped the Eddy Spet murder charge on a technicality, and he has 3 rape charges that have been brought and dropped against him, with 2 more pending," Lamb took a deep breath. "And you…, all of 5.1, 110 lbs., get into his car with him, looking… like that? Christ Mars! A Saint would try to take advantage of you when you look like that, much less an uncontrolled animal like DeSoto!"

Veronica curled her feet up next to her in the seat and pouted darkly. "Well Sheriff that was kind of the idea."

Lamb shot her a look.

"Not to get him to attack me!" she amended quickly, "just to get his attention and… and to get him to talk… to brag a bit about some of his 'conquests'. Basically, I was once again trying to do your job for you – you know, 'get a confession' from the bad guys."

"So you climbed, half-naked, and unarmed, into a car with three men to get some hear-say evidence to share with me?" Lamb stared at Veronica in disbelief. "Okay, I admit it Veronica, I always thought you were smarter than that -- a pain-in-the-ass -- but a 'smarter' pain-in-the-ass none the less.

"Listen Lamb," Veronica looked up from picking invisible pieces of lint off her nearly invisible skirt, "I didn't, -- WATCH THE –!"

Too late, Lamb's attention swiveled away from the perpetually distracting Veronica Mars back to the road and he found his car racing full speed into a fallen tree laying the middle of the highway. Jerking the steering wheel to the right, he slammed on the brakes in an attempt to keep the automobile from ramming headlong into the debris.

As the car spun, and the tires screeched on the asphalt, both Veronica and Lamb slid from side to side in their seatbelts until the driver's side of the car finally crashed into the trunk of the tree. 

* * *

Silence can be overwhelming.

That was Lamb's first coherent thought as he shook his head and lifted it from the 'not so soft' airbag that had deployed milliseconds into the accident. Taking a quick review of his physical and mental faculties, he verified that, amazingly, everything seemed to be in working order. And then his brain cells lit up and he realized he hadn't been alone in the car when the accident occurred.

Looking to the right he saw Veronica awkwardly draped over the passenger-side airbag. As he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his pocket knife, he called out to her. "Mars."

His voice was hoarse.

"Mars." She didn't move. "Mars!" He put more force behind his voice this time, and sighed under his breath when she slowly began to move.

"Veronica… are you alright?" Taking the knife, Lamb slit a hole and sliced into the thick plastic of the airbag. The car quickly filled with a stale chemical scent.

Lifting her head she gingerly straightened her tiny form against the back of the car seat and cocked her head first from side to side. "Other than feeling a bit like a human pancake, I seem to be doing just fine." She looked over at Lamb. "Nice crash."

"Clearly your acerbic wit wasn't damaged by the accident."

"'Acerbic wit?' Oh be still my heart…, today Don Lamb used a big word – 'I think I'm in love!'"

Don didn't say anything, he simply lifted his middle finger in her direction as he unbuckled his seatbelt. Turning towards her, he lifted the knife.

"Oh, okay Lamb… I know you're thinking 'here's my opportunity, knife in hand, trapped Veronica Mars. Do I cut Veronica, or cut the air bag? Cut Mars? Or cut airbag?' Go with the air bag Lamb. You'd never be able to cover up my murder. Eventually the police would figure out you did it, and then they'd be after you…. You'd be a Lamb on the lamb. A sad situation really. So for your own sake, not for mine, cut the airbag."

Taking the knife, Lamb looked Veronica in the eyes as he cut into her airbag, releasing more musty chemical air into the car. He noted she was panting lightly, just a little bit, and it occurred to him that she might have a small case of claustrophobia – a parting gift from her time in the fridge – care of Aaron Echolls. That could explain her 'verbosity' now. Veronica normally jabbed at him with her wit… taking pleasure in proving her perceived mental superiority. But she wasn't normally the babbling type… she was the short, sweet, rapier-tipped type of gal; at least she was with him. His eyes flickered from hers, to her lips – not wanting her to see the sympathy he suddenly felt.

Her lips. Her lips didn't inspire pity – she had a fucking wicked mouth – a fucking beautiful mouth. It was almost a shame that Mars was so beautiful, and so brilliant – and such an undeniably irritating woman. She'd be perfect if he could just figure out how to shut her up every once and a while.


	2. Blue Eyed Devil

Doing Just Fine  
Chap 2 of 3 or 4, Blue Eyed Devil  
Author Devylish  
Fandom Veronica Mars  
Pairing: Veronica Lamb DoVe  
Words 2231  
Rating R or T  
Spoilers Season 1  
Warning Language/eventual sex  
Disclaimer I own NOTHING…. And making me repeat this fact continually…, it's just CRUEL! **:D**

**DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe**

Veronica took a deep breath of tainted air as Lamb stabbed the airbag and freed her from its' plastic confines. She refused to give in to the hate… fear… that she had for small spaces. But not giving in didn't mean she didn't still _feel_ it.

At least she hadn't been alone this time. It was odd, but being alone and trapped in a tiny space was far worse for her than being trapped **with** someone. Even, apparently, if that someone was a blue eyed devil named Don Lamb.

And he did have devilishly beautiful eyes. They were like spider's webs: intricate, seemingly endless, and extremely dangerous to the unsuspecting; it was _much_ too easy to get ensnared in them. Fortunately, Veronica had learned long ago not too look at them too intently. She hadn't been caught in his eyes in years; not since she was a pre-teen girl and her dad had brought a young Deputy Don Lamb home to her for dinner.…

After greeting her mom, he'd looked down at Veronica with a grin, and his eyes had complimented her… they had told her she was pretty, and intelligent, and that she had the promise of becoming an amazing woman. She had fallen in love with him almost immediately. Of course, she now knew it wasn't really love, it was, at best, a teenage crush, but, at the time… at the time, it had felt 'real'. She'd _loved_ how Deputy Lamb treated her like an adult. And she had also _loved_ his eyes; eyes that had the power to muddle her young brain.

His eyes apparently still had the power to muddle her brain.

Taking a shallow breath she grabbed the door handle and pushed out of the car without warning. "So sheriff, let's see what sort of damage you've done to this tree."

Don followed Veronica out of the passenger door, and walked around to the front of the car to survey the wreckage. Mother Nature was a mean motherfucker. Even in the form of a dead tree she'd managed to destroy nearly the whole front left panel of Lamb's car.

"Fuck."

"Language Sheriff. There are ladies present." Veronica chimed dryly at his side.

Glancing at her tanned limbs, short blue skirt, bare midriff, and fitted blue top, Don couldn't stop himself from countering: "Ladies? Where?"

"Oh don't be a prude," she mumbled as he stepped around her and climbed back into the car.

Settling behind the steering wheel, Lamb mentally crossed his fingers before trying the ignition – nothing happened. Pumping the accelerator a few times, he tried her again – not even the sound of metal grating against metal greeted him.

"Fuck!" He slammed his hand on the dashboard in frustration.

Veronica leaned against the back door as Lamb pulled his long frame out of the car. She watched him pat down the pockets of his shirt and jeans until he located his cell phone. 'He has a really nice ass' she noted. And then she straightened her back with comprehension of her own thoughts. 'He has a nice ass and he IS an ass. Don't even think about forgetting that fact Veronica!'

"You won't get a signal out here." She told him with certainty.

Without sparing her a glance, Lamb flipped the phone open. No Signal. He turned in a slow circle only to find the same 'lack of signal' everywhere.

"Fuck," he muttered quietly.

"Okay Lamb, I'm starting to fall 'out of love' with you… three 'fucks' in five minutes definitely outweigh one 'acerbic'." Veronica chided as she pushed off of the car.

Rubbing her hands over her arms, she changed her tone slightly, "Oh amazingly wonderful Sheriff? What's the plan now?"

"The plan, Mars, is that we walk."

"We're 50 miles from Neptune, 50 miles from the aforementioned 'butt-fuck-nowhere', and you want to walk?"

Lamb stepped past her and reached into the car. "Well unless the 'great Mars' has a_better_ idea, yeah, we're walking." Turning back toward her as he locked and shut the door, Lamb momentarily shocked Veronica into silence by wrapping the jacket he'd pulled out of the car around her shoulders.

"Now let's get going before we get attacked by werewolves or something."

Veronica picked her jaw up off of the ground and groaned. 'This isn't going to be fun. It's not going to be anywhere _near_ fun.' Snuggling into Lamb's jacket, she dipped her hands through the sleeves and wrapped her arms back around her frame.

After 10 minutes of quietly trudging after the long-striding sheriff, Veronica admitted, to herself at least, that she was out of shape. Sorely out of shape; unlike a certain pain in the ass Sheriff. 'Damn Lamb and his fit thighs and tight ass. Damn, Damn, Damn.'

Stopping her trek in the middle of the road, Veronica looked down at her feet. She heaved a sigh before speaking to her shoes. "Goodbye pretty hooker shoes. Mommy will miss looking at you, but she will not miss wearing you!" Bending over she unstrapped the shoes and slipped them off.

Don heard Mars mumbling something and turned around to see her bending over and removing her shoes. She was a striking sight; slender legs, toned thighs, and a skirt that was definitely too short for decency…. A sight that would tempt 'even a saint'… and he definitely was not a saint. 'Fuck.'

"Coming Mars?" He barked out.

"Not for you." she mumbled quietly. Wiggling her toes on the asphalt, she padded a few steps and verified that barefootedness was a better situation than the heels. Putting one shoe in each of the pockets of Lamb's jacket, she looked up at him with a fake smile and tweeted sweetly, "Coming Lamb."

Thirty more minutes of walking and Veronica had come to realize that she was NOT made for hiking. Her calves ached, her feet were frozen, and her mind was in a bad bad place. 5-10 feet behind Don Lamb the whole time they'd been walking, and she'd been 'stuck' with observing his frame. (You can only stare at trees for so long, but apparently, staring at a human body, _that_ you can do endlessly). She wondered why she had never noticed how broad his shoulders were, or how trim his waist was. Now, all of his 'strengths' just cycled through her head. Shoulders, waist, ass, legs, shoulders, waist… ad nauseum.

Her eyes took him in, and her mind took advantage of him. Evil thoughts flew threw her brain. Thoughts like: 'those look like really powerful thighs' and 'He looks like he has really strong shoulders. I bet he could bench press me' and 'I _could_ get my legs around his waist….' Thoughts that kept her face and neck flushed…. And her core… her center… overheated.

Veronica _tried_ to reason with herself; to remind herself that this was Don Lamb, asshole extraordinaire. But her mind was having nothing to do with 'reason' tonight….

She grinned grimly, 'maybe there was a scientific reason for her current trip into insanity. Maybe these disturbing thoughts were her mind's way of keeping her body warm.'

**DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe**

Don kept his ears peeled for Mars, just making certain he heard the faint sound of her padding feet behind him, but beyond his ears, nothing else in his system was doing what it should be doing. He should be looking for trails leading to off-the-road farms, or houses, or… things. But his thoughts kept drifting away from the roadway to Veronica Mars.

'Yeah, Veronica Mars… she was definitely more enticing than an asphalt road'. 'And,' he gritted his teeth, 'she really shouldn't be wearing that skimpy little piece of 'nothing' that she's wearing; or bending over unselfconsciously around – me.' Don ran his hand over the back of his neck, and **he** shouldn't be thinking about her in this way. She was his enemy…, and she was also the sweet kid that he'd tousled the hair of just a few years ago.

When she was younger – prior to her being his own personal anti-Christ – he'd thought she was a cute kid. Adorable even. He could see all the potential she had; the potential to become a stunning woman.

He'd also seen the crush she had on him – Lamb still remembered how she use to look at him when he'd visit the Mars' home. His words were like gold to her then; her smile like a bit of sunshine for him.

And then Lilly Kane had died and Neptune turned upside down. Veronica had started to count Lamb as one of her many adversaries because he didn't agree with her fathers' take on the case. She'd done everything she could to undermine him, which, from most teens, wouldn't be much of a threat. But Mars wasn't most teens. She questioned his words, his actions, spotlighted every error that the new sheriff made. And she set him on edge; with her attitude, and with the smile that she beamed at others -- the smile that he was surprised to find that he missed.

Paradoxically, as Mars grew up, and grew to hate him more, Lamb began to notice her more. He hadn't been attracted to her as a pre-teen, or young teen… no, the furtive glancing at her form, and wet-dreams hadn't occurred until Mars grew up... And as soon as he realized what he was unconsciously doing – lusting after his ex-boss' teenage daughter – Lamb distanced himself even further from Veronica. He found himself hyper-aware of her presence; aware and on guard.

His icy facade had become so thick that it had eventually suffocated any sparks of 'interest' for Veronica Mars. Suffocated them until there was nothing left. Now, he and Mars were unable to be in the same room without sniping at one another.

There were no more cute blondes with wicked wits gracing his dreams.

No more mid-day cold showers induced by thoughts of Mars flavored jailbait.

He'd finally gotten over his little sickness. No interest in underage women plagued him anymore.

Of course, Veronica Mars was no longer underage. She was legal.

"Fuck."

Don pulled himself out of his reverie, training his eyes on the sides of the road, forcing himself to focus on something other than Veronica Mars. And that's when he saw it. Something glinting in the distance. He stopped mid-stride and stared. Maybe 100 - 110 yards in the distance moonlight flashed off of the otherwise dark windows of a house.

A house meant people and maybe a phone. At the very least it meant a chance to get out of the cold.

**DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe**

"Forget how to walk?" Mars hobbled up to Don's inert form. "It's really rather easy, even for someone of your mental capacities. You move one foot forward, and then you move the other foot forward. Repeat."

Ignoring her jab, Lamb pointed, "There's a house down there. We might be able to get some help."

Veronica peered into the darkness and identified the vague outlines of a house in the trees. Looking at the road that lead to the house Veronica groaned inwardly. It was grassy, covered with sticks, rocks, pebble – actually, it was less of a road, and more of an evil 'Mars foot attacking' trail.

"Yeah, ummm, okay, I'll just let you go get the help and I'll wait here for you. Shoo fly." Veronica waved Lamb toward the trail.

Don turned back to Veronica. "That makes no sense Mars. It'll be warmer at the house, and if we have to wait for our ride we'll definitely be more comfortable there."

"Comfort Schmomfort. I'll just wait here. Thanks for the offer." Veronica didn't want to mention the pain her feet were in, Lamb would just snidely point out how inappropriate her shoes and outfit were again. But she was also pretty certain – shoes on or off – her feet would fall off if she even attempted to walk down that trail….

Lamb opened his mouth to argue with Mars, but then he two and two together. Slowly, probably unconsciously, she was moving from one foot to the other. Her feet must be killing her... she'd been in those stupid sexy heels for who knows how long, and then she'd been limping around on her bare feet in the cold for 20 or 30 minutes!

'Stupid bitc... Why hadn't she said anything? Oh yeah, right, I'm her enemy.' With a sigh Lamb cracked his neck and moved toward Veronica. Acting before he could change his mind, or before she could protest, he bent down and threw Veronica Mars over his shoulder.

"Hey! Hey!" Veronica screeched. "What are you…?!! Put me down! Don Lamb, if you don't put me down this instant, I swear I'll hurt you so much when I get free, you'll think you're in hell!"

He was already in hell, he thought as he marched down the dark, overhung trail. The screeching sound she was making – not pleasant. The wiggling she was doing – way too pleasant.

"One) You don't have any weapons Mars, so my fear level is not very high right now. Two) I'm not wandering off leaving a half dressed woman on the side of a dark road. Three) Your feet are killing you, and you're too stubborn to admit it." Grinning, he couldn't stop himself from adding, "Now shut up and enjoy the ride, or I'll be forced to spank you for misbehaving."


	3. The Caveman and The Pink Elephant

Doing Just Fine  
Chap 3 of 4, The Caveman and the Pink Elephant  
Author Devylish  
Fandom Veronica Mars  
Pairing: Veronica Lamb DoVe  
Words 3454  
Rating R or T  
Spoilers Season 1  
Warning Language/eventual sex  
Disclaimer I own NOTHING…. And making me repeat this fact continually…, it's just CRUEL! **:D**

A/N: Unbeta'd  
**  
A/N2: I sooooo wanted there to only be 3 chapters, and for there to be 'sex' in this chapter… but… erh, no…. Don and Veronica apparently had some 'talking' they needed to get out of the way before they could… uhhh… well… you know!!!!**

**A/N3:**_** OKAY it's been a while since I followed up with this fic, as an apology (actually because I couldn't stop Veronica and Lamb from talking), this installment is a bit longer!**_

**DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe**

The walk to the cabin was silent. Silent except for the snap of twigs and the crunch of dead leaves beneath Lamb's feet.

Climbing the porch steps when they reached the cabin, he used the toe of his work shoes to 'knock' on the door. Two minutes of alternately kicking and waiting convinced him that the house was empty. Trying the knob, he grinned slightly at the second bit of good luck he'd had that night… the first bit of luck being his getting to Veronica before DeSoto made her another one of his statistics.

Stepping into the cabin, Lamb stood just inside the doorway for a few minutes, letting his eyes adjust to the shadows of the structure.

"You can put me down now." Her voice was quiet, measured — controlled.

Veronica's 'control' pissed him off. It always had. She controlled situations. She controlled herself. She controlled him – or tried to…. Her control made him want to break things. Glass, walls… her control.

"Honestly Lamb…, down. Now!" This time her tone was more spirited. He could feel her body tensing up again to start pummeling his back with her sharp little claws.

Heading further into the room, Don moved toward a dark mass that looked suspiciously like a sofa. Shifting Veronica in his arms, he unceremoniously plopped her on her ass on the couch.

"Ow!"

"You're welcome Mars."

"I didn't say thank you! I was doing fine out there; I didn't need your help."

"Lying will get that cute little bottom of yours spanked too." Lamb edged his way to the fireplace that he could make out now that his eyes had fully adjusted to the murky lighting. Feeling along the mantle, he found what he was looking for – matches. He lit one, and in the flickering glimmer he saw thick candles placed along the mantle.

Lighting as many of the candles as his match would allow, he moved on to his next task, starting a fire in the fireplace. The previous inhabitants had been kind enough to leave wood in the grate and a pile in the bin beside it. Bending down, Lamb checked the flue and lit the kindling with a couple of matches.

Veronica watched him as he competently gave them both light and warmth. "Well aren't you all: caveman.have.fire.?"

"It's not a good idea to aggravate the caveman Mars."

With a sniff she curled her legs up to her side, drawing her body closer to the arm of the couch. She leaned in toward the flames as Lamb lifted a candle from the mantle and looked around the room.

Off to his right was a kitchenette area with a wood burning stove…. Lamb cursed under his breath, 'Who's the owner of this cabin…? Grizzly Adams?' His hopes for electricity in the cabin were quickly fading. With a grimace he walked to the stove and started a small fire there too. More warmth wouldn't be a bad thing, plus he hadn't eaten in hours, speaking of which…. He opened a cabinet or two – canned goods…. It wasn't a gourmet selection, but hell, they wouldn't starve either.

Just to the right of the kitchen area were two closed doors. He opened the first… speaking over his shoulder he informed Veronica, "bathroom, clean, but no frills."

Shutting door number one, he opened the second door and found a small bedroom with a large bare-naked bed in the middle of it. A big, comfortable looking bed. A big, comfortable looking bed with a wrought iron headboard. 'I have my handcuffs in my pocket.' The thought flitted through his head, and the blood left his brain, heading due south.

'Shit.' This is why he didn't spend time in enclosed spaces with Veronica. The snark he could take. The ice cold attitude, he'd gotten use to. But, the smell of her hair, the echo of her smile, the blue flame of her eyes…. Yeah those… those in a small enclosed space could kill him. And tonight, he was trapped with her. Trapped all night, in a small cabin, out in the middle of nowhere. 'Fuck.'

He closed the door silently.

"Dead body?" Veronica quizzed.

He should have known she'd ask. "Bed." Erh, his brain stuttered, "Bedroom."

"Then we won't have to arm wrestle over the couch! It's yours!"

He would definitely let her have the bed; he wasn't that much of a jerk…. But he couldn't mess up his jerk title by giving in too easily. "We'll see about that." Lamb put his candle back on the mantle and warmed his legs in front of the fire.

Looking down at Veronica he couldn't stop himself from asking, "So, how are your feet?"

Looking up at Lamb, Veronica couldn't stop herself from lying, "fine."

"Second identifiable lie of the night Mars. You only get three." Seating himself on the middle cushion of the sofa, Lamb reached for Veronica's legs, pulling them onto his lap.

She quickly shifted, trying to pull her legs away from his grasp. "What are you doing? What do you think you're doing?!"

"Stop wiggling."

"Stop touching me."

"I've never actually had a woman ask me to do that before," he deadpanned.

Keeping a firm grip of both of her ankles with one hand, Lamb used his free hand to grasp one of one of her feet. Wrapping his fingers over the top of her foot, he placed his thumb on the ball of her foot and applied a rolling pressure.

"Ow! Just stop! Ow...! Oww – ohhhh, ohhhhh mmmmm," Veronica bit her lower lip to stop her voice from further betraying her. Lamb's hands, his fingers… her eyes fluttered closed. 'If there is only ONE good thing about you, it's your hands.'

Lamb chuckled and loosened his grip on her ankles.

Veronica's eyes shot open. "Did I just say that out loud?"

"Yeah Mars, you did. And for the record," he lifted her foot slightly, using both of his hands to massage her toes. "There are a lot of good things about me." He kept his eyes trained on her foot, but he let a smile ghost along his lips.

"I'd argue that point, but then you might stop what you're doing." Scootching further down on the couch, she let her body relax. Well, relax as much as was possible when she was in his presence…. And when he was 'touching' her.

His touch wasn't something she'd often experienced – unless you counted when he handcuffed her – which she didn't. But even when they use to be friends, they had rarely touched. Veronica had kept herself physically distant from him because she was shy; and because she knew that he only thought of her has his boss' cute kid daughter.

There were those rare occasions though; those rare occasions when they did it. They touched.

She remembered rushing home one Friday night, busting through the front door, tears streaming down her face. And the only one there to witness them was Don:

"_Veronica, what's wrong?"_

"_Nothing. Peachy Keen here. Fine." She sniffed and allowed the long curtain of her hair to obstruct his view of her face._

"_Veronica!" He blocked her escape to her bedroom. "__**What's**__**wrong**__?"_

_She sniffled but otherwise remained silent._

"_Veronica?" His hand lifted to her chin, tilting her head up until her tear filled eyes locked with his._

_As soon as she made that connection – saw his eyes – Veronica launched herself into his arms, burying her head against his chest. _

_To this day she remembered his arms, hesitantly, slowly, wrapping around her. One hand moved to her head, stroking the fine strands gently. Soothingly. _

"_Veronica, Honey… what's wrong?"_

_His words rumbled through his chest; vibrating against her whole frame as she sobbed. And slowly, scatteredly, her teen soap opera drama escaped; mumbled against his chest._

_He heard the words: 'Duncan' and 'Lilly', and 'likes me', 'hates me'… all muddled together. He honestly couldn't make much sense of her words, but he __**could**__ 'sense' the small break in her heart. All the time he 'listened', he rubbed her back, stroked her hair… held her tight. _

_And Veronica felt her world… as small a crack as there was in it… begin to heal._

_Fifteen minutes later when her mom and dad returned from their quick trip to the grocery and liquor stores, Don and Veronica were sitting at the kitchen table playing cards._

_Veronica caught the look her father gave her – noting the puffiness around her eyes – and she also noted the head shake Don gave Keith…, assuring him, silently, that everything was 'alright'._

_Passing his hand over her shoulder, her dad squeezed gently, and sat down next to her._

"_Okay you two, deal me in, and prepare to lose and lose badly!"_

That night was the last time Lamb had ever touched her, other than in the line of 'Neptune' duty; odd that she should still find his touch so relaxing, so soothing… and healing.

His fingers kneaded the soft aching pads of her feet. Strong fingers. Strong fingers, strong shoulders. He'd carried her up to the cabin without complaint; his arms wrapped around her thighs and calves, holding her firmly in place. She'd tried to turn her brain off, to focus on something other than Don Lamb. But the position she'd been in, hanging upside down, privy to an excellent close up view of a nice tight tush, hadn't actually been conducive to thinking 'non-Lamb' thoughts. She found it even harder to stop her mind from thinking about her situation, and the sheer 'manliness' of Lamb, when she realized he was carrying her off into the night like his very own prize.

Now, in the cabin, in the faint half-light of the candles and flames, Veronica flushed. There seriously ought to be a law about being built as well as Lamb was; and having hands that were this talented. A great big Neptune sized law.

With a moan, Veronica settled lower on the couch.

"Found the spot hmmmm?" His voice was deep and hushed.

"Ohhhh yeah…"

Her eyes flew open. "I mean, no…. Well yes! You found the foot spot. The foot aching spot. The --." 'Stop now Veronica. Just stop!'

The smirk on his face grew with every word. Ruffled Veronica, unlike 'controlled Veronica', he was a big fan of.

She closed her eyes again, hiding her embarrassment. 'Change the topic. Change the topic.'

"Why did you turn against us?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she could pull them back.

Don's hands paused mid-massage. "What?"

Funny how words she didn't want to speak could escape, but breath couldn't. She didn't want to talk about this: about Lilly's death, about losing… losing so much. But the words had found a way out and run away already. "Why did you turn against us?" She opened her eyes. "My dad, me…. I had you – we had you – as a friend one day, and the next, you were our enemy. I don't understand it." She studied his face, looking for answers. "It's like you were there, and then, suddenly, you banded with everyone else against us. I didn't expect much from anyone else, but, I – my dad – our family – we KNEW we could count on 'Don'; that the man who had had dinner at our house every week, who went to the beach with me, who had dried my tears, who…, who…." She stopped the words that were spilling unrestrained out of her mouth. "Were you always a jackass in lambs clothing, or was that an overnight change?"

Lamb returned to working her feet as she spit forth her confusion and anger. It was surprising, really, that they'd never talked about this – or yelled about it – they'd just danced around the edges of it. Dancing around the giant fucking pink elephant in the middle of every space they occupied.

"I didn't abandon you Mars." He stated hesitantly.

She responded with a sniff.

"I didn't. I was still you friend – at first. You abandoned me."

Veronica arched forward, "What!?"

"You were my only family; your dad, Leanne…, you. The only family I've ever…." He stopped. "And in the space of a week, my 'family' put me on their shit list. They locked their doors to me. Spat venom at me whenever they saw me." His eyes poured into Veronica's. "You either die under the heat of Mars' wrath, or you develop a real thick hide, real quick."

Veronica knew a thing or two about developing thick skin. Lilly's death had definitely taught her that, among other things. A moment of sympathy flooded her senses, and then she recalled who she was talking to. "You, and everyone else, attacked my family! You took pleasure in, in … handcuffing me and carting me off to the station. You enjoyed fighting every suggestion or piece of evidence we gave you." She stopped her rambling and in a controlled voice finished, "You didn't believe me."

The rape.

Big ass, fucking pink, pregnant elephant.

"Veronica," he breathed in…. _Her red rimmed eyes, disheveled hair and clothes_ flashed through his head; for the millionth time. "I wish I had believed you."

"You…! You wish…!?" She sputtered. "I came to you, in spite of how… how two-faced I knew you were, and once and for all, you proved your true colors." Veronica tried to jerk her feet from his grasp, but he refused to let her go just yet.

"Do you remember what you did the last time you came to the station? The time before _that_ morning?"

"What???!" His change in topic confused her.

"The week before…, before your rape…, you stopped by the station and cajoled Sacks into letting you 'hang out', and while there, you set off two little Mars' bombs. First, you planted false evidence regarding the Riley case, and –"

"He was innocent!"

"So you sent us – me! – down the wrong path for three days chasing a 'phantom' lead!?"

"You thought he was your man!"

"I was investigating! I was doing my job!" He rumbled. "Not everyone is blessed with the Mars' proclivity for adding Pi and Infinity together and coming up with 4! But I do know the steps of my job, and 2 plus 2 equals 4. Riley was our strongest suspect. He was literally found standing over the body with a bloody knife IN his hand! Yeah I arrested him, and Keith would have arrested him too. But if you hadn't planted that evidence, sending us off on a wild goose chase, I might have followed some real leads, and gotten to the 'he's innocent conclusion' myself." Lamb paused, reigning in his anger, "but you had to be right. And you had to make me 'wrong'." All the time that he spoke, his hands still rubbed at Veronica's heel and arch – the anger in his voice separate from his still gentle touch.

"So, the second Mars bomb that early, early morning." He continued when she didn't respond to his proclamation. "Do you remember what you did? What you said?"

"I can't believe you're trying to blame this on me!"

"I'm not trying to blame anyone of anything! I'm just looking at the evidence, I know how you like evidence… facts. And the evidence seems to suggest that you are the dumbest smart person I know. You take everything on yourself. You take everything as a personal attack. You, your whole family, fucking abandoned me because I didn't agree with you! I became a pariah to you all because I didn't agree with the great Keith Mars' diagnosis of Lilly Kane's death! But," he looked at her, "my not agreeing with you had nothing to do with 'you.' It wasn't a personal attack. I simply didn't AGREE with Keith, and he was wrong! Jake didn't kill Lilly!"

"Oh, and your suspect was the right one?"

"No!" He sighed, "No, he wasn't. For fuck's sake Veronica, what I'm saying, what I'm trying to say, is that, because I didn't, for once, think that Keith was right, the Mars clan kicked me out. No more home cooked meals, no more pats on the back, no more… brilliant smiles. I belonged – I was your friend – as long as I thought exactly like you wanted me to. And when I didn't, when I made the decision to not blindly side with Keith, you…. Veronica, you're dangerous. You get an idea in your head, you make a man your enemy, and there is NO way for him to change that opinion, to redeem or save himself."

"I --," she started.

"You came into the station a week before your rape, you peppered the evidence for the Riley case, and you started a rumor about how uncomfortable I use to make Lilly and you feel; staring at you, touching you…."

Veronica suddenly recalled lightheartedly mentioning to Sacks – making up – Lamb's proclivity for pre-teen/teen girls. Anything to bruise the new sheriff's reputation. It had seemed a rather innocuous statement at the time…. She even, vaguely, remembered thinking to herself 'I'm only mentioning it to Sacks…, at most Lamb will get a few funny looks at the office that he can't decipher.'

"I never…," Lamb puffed. "Even at 14 or 15, Lilly would sleep with anyone with a penis – and some without – but I never even looked her direction. She wasn't my type. And you…. You. I made certain to stay away from you even when we were friends. I made certain I never crossed that line with you. And here I walk into my office to find Sack's fuming – you should have seen him, you would have been proud – and he was ready to pummel me….. I still don't know how I managed to convince him that I wasn't a pedophile." Don actually DID know, but he wasn't going to share that information with her – talking to Sack's about his childhood, his abusive – not sexually abusive, but physically abusive – dad, had been hard enough, discussing it with his beautiful brilliant adversary would kill him. "But if I hadn't convinced him, your little Mars bomb number two, would have ruined me."

Lamb didn't think he had spoken to Veronica this much in one sitting in years, if ever. But, in for a penny, in for a pound. "I wish I had believed you. That I had been able to believe you when you came to me. But, I was angry, and I was the enemy you'd made me, and I had just had recent proof – twofold – of how far you'd go to discredit your 'old friend'.

Veronica piped up, "I wasn't trying to destroy you, I just wanted to get people to see what an idiot you were…, are…. But when I came to you, after the party… I came to YOU."

He smiled wryly, "And I just knew you were setting me up to blame one or two of your ex-09er friends. Maybe get myself wrapped up in chasing someone or something that had 'crossed you' at some point. I mean, if you could accuse me of pedophilia, certainly you could fake a little rape aftermath; something to send me off after who knows what…."

"I WAS raped."

"I didn't know that. And we were enemies. The line in the sand was redrawn by you Veronica."

Don slid his hand up past Veronica's ankle to her calf, gently kneading the muscle there. He whispered, "That moment IS my one real regret."

"Out of all of the stupid things you've done?" She shot back half-heartedly.

"Well, hey, if I have to pick '1'."

They sat in silence.

Veronica was thinking of all the times she – her dad – had proven Lamb 'wrong'. All the times she'd tripped him, just to see him fall, just because he had hurt her… them.

Lamb's thoughts were equally centered on the past; picturing the times he'd taken pleasure in degrading the Mars' family. The family who'd disowned him. When you're hurt in your life, it's hard to trust again. And if you ever do open yourself, dare to be vulnerable one more time and you're hurt again? Yeah, bitter, cold, mean… those are good labels. He and Veronica were not all that different. They never had been.

Switching her legs he slowly began to massage her second calf. Another moan escaped her lips.

Despite the turmoil she was experiencing because of Lamb's words, Veronica's body was happy; his touch was magical. 'If he keeps this up,' she thought, 'I'm going to cum from a foot & leg massage.'

Lamb's hands stopped.

Veronica opened up one eye, looking at him quizzically and then she groaned. "That was out loud again wasn't it?"

He smiled slowly.

"Crap! I so have to stop that!"


	4. Walls Come Tumbling Down

Doing Just Fine  
Chap 4 of 4, Walls Come Tumbling Down  
Author Devylish  
Fandom Veronica Mars  
Pairing: Veronica Lamb DoVe  
Words 4148  
Rating R or T  
Spoilers Season 1  
Warning Language and YEAH! sex  
Disclaimer I own NOTHING…. And making me repeat this fact continually…, it's just CRUEL! **:D**  
A/N: Unbeta'd  
**A/N2: Good Lord! They finally got to it!!!  
A/N3: Thanks for sticking with me and being such great commenters, I was definitely feeling the DoVe love!!!**

**DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe **

"Don't stop on my account." His smile grew even bigger, reaching his eyes, making them gleam.

'Damn gleamy, twinkley eyes.' Veronica held her breath for a second. Then two. And then she bolted. Running is **good**; don't let anyone tell you it's not.

Wrenching her legs from his hold, she hopped off of the couch.

"Uh, my turn to explore."

His eyes locked with hers for just a second before she skittered away, intent on upon putting as much distance as possible between her and the devil.

Heading into the kitchen she could still feel a slight ache on the bottom of her feet, but it was nothing in comparison to the shooting pains she'd felt before. Stopping in front of the black iron stove Veronica held her hands out and drew the fragrant warmth in. 'What are you doing Veronica? That's Don Lamb in there; evil, turncoat, Don Lamb.' She moved to the cabinets and opened them… echoing Don's earlier movements. 'Only, he may not be the evil turncoat I've thought he was all this time. Oh he was, 'mean'…. He could be hard, and even cruel.' She wrapped her arms around her body; drowning in his 'Lamb' scented jacket. She stared blindly at the cans that filled the cupboard. 'He can be cruel, but then again, so can I.'

As Lamb watched Veronica move around the small 'kitchen' he realized he was in trouble; deep trouble. Now that the air had been cleared, now that they'd actually 'talked' to one another, there was nothing between them. No unbreakable, icy walls. No dark hurts….

Well, the walls **were** still there, and the hurt **was** still there, but a salve had been put upon the wounds; a fire had been lit beside the walls. They were melting.

And if he stayed around Veronica with no walls up? Stayed around her without the bitter anger that had kept him at a distance for so long? Stayed around her without the jailbait age issue to keep him in check?

There would be nothing to keep him away from her; nothing to save him from going to her and making her his.

She reached up, stretching to see the contents at the back pf a cabinet, and he took in the length of her petite form. Being that beautiful had to be a sin. A sin, or maybe some sort of torture used to punish those who were sent to hell…. 'You can look, but you better not touch!' Only, he had already touched her; innocently in the past, and seconds ago… maybe not completely innocently, but also not completely goaded by selfishness.

And the damn walls were melting into puddles all around him. He'd seen something in her eyes just before she escaped his hold. Something akin to forgiveness; forgiveness and heat.

**DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe **

Veronica peeked in the bathroom…. Lamb hadn't lied; it was small, bare, and clean. She turned to face the last door in the house. Opening it she froze; the room contained what had to be the biggest bed she'd ever seen.

"How about we share?"

She barely stopped herself from jumping. He'd moved from his position on the couch and was now standing behind her.

"Share?"

"The bed." He was directly behind her; she could literally feel the warmth emanating from his body, although no part of him was actually touching her. And she could swear that his voice was timbre lower than normal.

"The bed?" Really, she had to stop this 'speak and repeat' routine.

"The square, soft, inviting looking item occupying the majority of room you're looking into." He paused. "So what do you think? I'm willing to share if you are."

"Share." Crap. She'd done it again. She was dealing with a majorly non-functioning brain at the moment; how could his mere 'nearness' cause her to suddenly lose all sense of… all sense!? A walk in the woods, followed by a twenty minute conversation and it was all gone? Her ability to ignore the attraction she'd felt for him years? 'I get a quick view of his thighs; He gets all 'manly' on me, carrying me off to 'his' cave/hut, and now I'm all 'woman': 'bewitched, bothered, and bewildered?''

Maybe they'd either entered a magic cottage.

Or maybe there was a warlock somewhere weaving a mystical spell over her.

Or maybe her hormones were just in overdrive, or…,' Veronica tensed, 'or it's real and Don Lamb has the ability to reduce me to a quivering mass of pheromone ruled putty.'

"Veronicaaaaa." Lamb's voice shattered through her reverie.

'Rally the forces Mars, rally the forces!'

"Uhh, no. You can have the bed." Veronica edged away from him and the door, moving to the cabin's more open living space. "You're big, I'm small." And I didn't just say that did I?

"I mean, you'd be all scrunched on the couch. And…, and now that we're back to being 'buddies' and all," she turned and faced him, rewrapping her arms around her body, "uh, consider it an act of friendship on my part."

Lamb had given up the ghost of rational thought as soon as Veronica left the couch…, maybe as soon as they'd entered the cabin. He leaned against the opening to the bedroom and watched her flit around the living room.

"Yeah, sorry Mars," he scratched lightly at the back of his neck, "I may be an asshole, but, I'm a gentlemanly asshole. I can't take the bed and leave you sleeping on the couch. So, you can either have the bed all to yourself – leaving me all 'scrunched' up on the sofa, or – we can share."

She dared another look at him. And he had that smirk on his face again, that smirk that had irritated her for years. And it still bothered her. Only now, at this moment, it didn't make her want to scratch his eyes out…. Instead, it made her want to scratch his back; claw her nails in to him and wipe the smirk off of his face – with her lips.

Alarmed by where her thoughts kept leading her, Veronica retreated to the couch and curled back up in her corner; resolutely turning her eyes to the flames of the fire.

She retreated and Lamb pursued.

Plopping down next to her on the couch, he kicked off his shoes; wiggling his toes in their dark black socks.

"If you're expecting me to return the favor and give **you** a foot massage, you've got another 'think' coming." Veronica stated softly as she covertly eyed him.

"I didn't take care of your feet in so that you'd owe me a favor, but, if you're offering – a foot massage is NOT the type of favor I'm going to ask for."

The hem of Veronica's skirt suddenly fascinated her. Hems. Hems. Folded pieces of cloth sewn closed to keep your clothing from fraying; from pulling and undoing. She felt like she was coming undone. The hem she'd had in place for so long, defining her relationship with Lamb had just been cut clean away. And now she was left with nothing but an uneven edge….

Faking a yawn, Veronica ignored Lamb's come-on. "So, uh… yeah, really which do you want? The bed or the couch?"

"Ladies choice." He reached for her legs again, surprising her, and pulling them back on to his lap.

"My feet don't hurt anymore."

"Good. Then we can move right on to the pleasure."

"Pleasure?" 'And again with the one word statements Veronica?'

"Pleasure…," he skipped past her feet to touch her calves immediately. "You know, you probably have the softest skin I've ever touched."

"Compliments will get you no where." She whispered.

"That's why I'm 'touching' too. Combined attack: physical and verbal. If one doesn't work, perhaps the other will." He stared at Veronica. She was watching his hands as they moved across and around her legs, and for the first time in a long time, he felt like he could read her thoughts. "Although, with you Mars, I admit, I'm normally on the losing end of verbal exchanges. Maybe, I should just stick to the physical?" He slid his hand up her leg, along the inside of her thigh.

"Your mouth does seem to get you into a lot of trouble Deputy." Veronica lifted her eyes to Lamb's. She didn't know what she was doing; why she was saying what she was saying. But here she was, and there he was and he was smiling again. 'Maybe his smile really isn't all that irritating' she thought fleetingly. And then she stopped thinking.

They would argue about it for years to come; who made the first move. She'd swear it was him, and his deliciously decadent hands. And he'd swear it was her, finally climbing the last of the crumbling wall that stood between them. But in any case, Veronica ended up with Lamb leaning over her legs, his lips over hers, and her hands stroking the short locks at the back of his neck.

Surprisingly, their first kiss was soft. Softer than either one of them believed the other capable of being. It was the final necessary gesture of forgiveness, of healing. It proved, once and for all, to each of them, that they could give to the other, and take from the other, and not hurt.

As Lamb pulled his lips from hers, he started speak – _to whisper sweet nothings? To belatedly make certain that __**she**__ was certain about wanting him? Too tell her she was beautiful? _ – But as his eyes scanned hers and he opened his mouth, Veronica placed her hand against his lips.

"Sheriff, less verbal, more physical."

The answer to all of his fleeting fears in one sweet, Mars-sized answer. "Who am I to argue with a beautiful woman? He spoke around her fingers before kissing them.

"Oh, okay, see, those kinds of words you can use." She smiled and bent forward to replace her fingers with her lips.

He pecked at her mouth quickly before pulling all the way back and lifting her legs off of his thighs.

"Hey!" 'Okay, that came out a whole lot more 'begging' sounding than I'd planned.'

Don grinned, "Don't worry little girl, you're going to get what you want."

"And you think you know what that is?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

Lamb stood up, faced the couch and bent over her. Pressing his mouth against hers with quick little punctuations he responded. "Most.Definitely.Mars." As he placed the final kiss to her lips, he slid one arm under her knees and the other under her shoulders.

With a quick lift he cradled her in his arms and moved them toward the bedroom. "By the way, we're sharing the bed."

"Yes sir."

He purred into her neck, "I could get use to that."

"Mmmm hmm, don't get **too** use to it."

He chuckled before dropping a kiss to her jaw, and then another. Turning and sitting on the edge of the bed, he continued to hold her, pressing soft strings of kisses along her neckline, her cheeks, her beautiful eyes.

Applying pressure to Lamb's chest with her hand, Veronica separated them and looked up into his surprised face. "I think, you think I'm pretty."

"I think, I think you're right." He swooped down to take another kiss, but she tilted away from him.

"And while I appreciate your appreciation of my aesthetics," she wiggled off of his lap and stood before him, "I don't think I want to go slow right now." Veronica shrugged out of Lamb's jacket letting it puddle to the floor in a heap.

"No?"

She climbed back on to his lap, this time straddling his hips with her thighs. Placing her hands on his shoulders, Veronica settled herself as close to him as possible, her center pressing against his admirably hard length. "No."

With a groan Lamb placed a hand at the back of Veronica's head, winding his fingers through her blonde mane. Tugging her head back he took his other hand and placed it at the bottom of her ridiculously small shirt. Edging his fingers under the hem, he quickly found himself palming one of her beautiful breasts. "Well, whatever my lady wants, my lady gets."

It was Veronica's turn to purr, "I could get use to that."

"Mmmm hmm, don't get **too** use to it." With a grin…, a grin that she'd seen before, and that should have warned her he was up to something, Lamb inclined his head to her collar bone. Licking softly at the area just where her neck met her shoulders, he worried the skin there; nibbling, tasting, and suckling at it.

It took her a few hazy minutes to realize what he was doing, but then it clicked in, "Don Lamb! Are you trying to give me a hickey?!"

"Trying and most definitely succeeding," he let go of the tender piece of flesh with a satisfying, suctioned pop.

"Back to being a Neanderthal? Marking me as yours?" She teased him, her hands going to the buttons on his shirt.

"There are going to be so many 'claim marks' on your body… in so many places…, you're going to have to wear a ski suit to hide them all."

She flushed. "Promises, promises."

"I'm turning over a new leaf…. I'm going to keep every promise I make. Well, every promise I make to you." Standing up with Veronica in his arms, he turned to face the bed. He held her as he edged a knee onto the mattress before lowering Veronica's back to the soft surface.

Veronica kept her thighs wrapped around Lamb's waist and hips as he lowered them both to the bed. His weight, his frame – focused on her body – felt good. She'd never been the type of woman who liked having her men – Logan, Duncan, even the unimpressive Piz – tower over her…. Having their size above her, having them physically assert their manliness over her, had always made her feel 'small'… 'lesser'. But now, with Don Lamb slanted over her, his heaviness demanding and hard against her, she still felt 'small', but she didn't feel lesser. Instead, she felt 'more'.

With Don pressing against her, over her…, weighing against her, she felt that **she** was the one with the power. That she had the power to ensnare, fascinate, and enthrall this larger, more physically powerful being.

Don lifted up slightly, as much as Veronica's insistent thighs would allow, so that she could undo the final buttons on his shirt. When she had succeeded in that task, she helped him shrug the blue cotton off of his shoulders.

She couldn't stop herself from staring at him for just a bit. He was built; pecs, abs, and arms that she'd drool about… when he wasn't looking at her so intensely.

Don grinned like a peacock spreading his feathers at the look on Veronica's face. "See something you like Mars?"

"You've warned me about lying to you, so I'm just going to say, yes… and yes." She gave an embarrassed laugh. "Your uniforms just aren't doing you justice."

"Polyester… it's no one's friend."

"That was an adorably metrosexual statement darling; thanks for dragging me back down to reality."

"… only to send you back up to the heights of ecstasy." He captured the hem of her shirt, winding it in his hands, and he levered her up until she was sitting on his thighs. Plucking at the edge of the top, he tugged it upwards. She complied with his implied demand, removed her arms from his biceps, and helped him extract her from the confines of her top. Throwing it over Lamb's shoulder onto the floor, Veronica immediately reached for the clasp at the back of the blue satin bra.

"Are you holding your breath?!" She looked at his face as she worked the clasps.

He puffed out, "No…. Yes."

She laughed lightly, "in case you're hoping that they'll be bigger when the bra is 'off', that's not how it works."

"Anything more than a palmful…."

"Well I think I can promise you just about that." Veronica crossed one arm over the bra, capping a cup while she shrugged each shoulder out of the slim straps.

He groaned deeply, "Stop teasing and take that thing off."

Dropping her hands and tossing the scrap of cloth on the floor Veronica watched Lamb.

She echoed his words, hesitantly, "See something you like Sheriff?"

His eyes were riveted to her chest; staring at her breasts with something… something that could either be reverence, or disgust.

Without a word he lifted one hand to her breast, lightly cupping the underside of the sensitive flesh. He flicked his thumb over her nipple, watching it peak and tighten under his ministrations. And then he bent his head to her other breast, pressing his tongue along that nipple, working it to a peak that matched its twins'.

"I…, I'm going to take that as a 'yes Veronica, I see something I like'." Veronica ground her hips against Lamb's, wrapping her hands around his shoulders, twining her fingers through his hair.

He lowered her back to the bed as he continued to lave her breast with his tongue; the sandpaper flat of his tongue teasing her. "I didn't know you'd be so delicious."

"What did I tell you about compliments?"

He chuckled and moved his head lower, down to her stomach… to her navel. Something in him told him to go slow, to take his time, but that 'something' was heavily outweighed by the fact that he was actually holding a half naked Veronica Mars in his arms.

He moved his hands from Veronica's breasts to her hips. "Up Baby."

She complied, pressing her hips against his and lifting her body up. "Mmmmm," she squirmed as he helped her out of her skirt, nylons, and thong in one fell swoop; edging them down her legs and dropping them to the floor.

Naked Mars. He stared.

"You're going to give me a complex." She moved slowly back along the mattress making more room for him to join her.

"You're beautiful."

"And you're too far away, and too dressed."

He reached for his belt buckle, undoing it, and then he unzipped his jeans, tugging them down and off until he was standing in front of her in his boxer briefs.

"You're still a little overdressed Sheriff."

"Damn… I suppose I should fix that, huh"

"Just to be fair." She cocked her knee up, letting her foot trace along her other leg.

"Yeah, just to be fair."

Don hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his briefs and pulled them off. Straightening, he stood in front of her with nothing but a smile, and an impressive display of manhood on.

"Speaking of beautiful," she intoned lowly. Then she crooked a finger, wiggling it at him invitingly.

"So basically, we have a mutual admiration society going on here, huh?"

"A long distance mutual admiration society; you didn't get it when I said you were too far away, did you?"

He smiled and crawled half way on to the bed with her. He stopped at her stomach, kissing it softly. Glancing up at her he whispered, "I believe I was right about 'here'?"

Veronica's breath caught, and then she murmured a response, "maybe a little lower."

Lamb grinned, darkly, sweetly. "Oh yeah," a laugh escaped his lips as he traveled lower and nuzzled his nose against the trimmed patch of blonde hair just above Veronica's center. "Forgetful me! Sorry about that Beautiful, I guess I'll just have to ummm, make it up to you somehow."

Veronica didn't get a chance to think up a response before his tongue dipped into her folds, and all power of thought escaped her. In the past, she may have had questions about Lamb's dedication and focus to his job as a lawman. But he was now proving to her that he had no such focus issues when it came to paying attention to Veronica's body.

She also realized that**all** of Lamb was wonderful. Not just his magical hands, but his masterful tongue, and his heating warmth. His flesh against hers was perfect. He met her frayed edges and loving stroked them. Together they were peace, and energy, and… and…. "I need you." Her words escaped softly, lost in a moan, but he somehow seemed to hear her.

Tracing his way back up her body, he lowered his mouth to hers. She could taste herself on his lips, on his tongue, and she could feel his excitement as he settled between her legs. One of his hands parted her legs to fully accommodate his hips and he used the same hand to guide the tip of his cock to her entrance.

Lowering his head to her ear, he sighed, "I need you too." He moved his hips forward and the head of his cock was accepted into her warmth. She made sounds, little hums of contentment as he slid deeper into her.

Buried inside of Veronica Mars, Lamb found Nirvana. He was only one stroke in, but he was all the way in; her heat hugging him, enveloping him, tightening around him with each breath. Slowly he withdrew his length, keeping just the very tip of his shaft in her.

Veronica mewed as Lamb halted his movements. "More!" She angled her hips in an attempt to bring him back.

"Yes ma'am." Lamb thrust forward again, setting up a rhythm – slow and teasing. A rhythm that was as hard for him to maintain, as it was for her to bear.

"I need, I need…." Her body was so close; so close to exploding.

"Whatever you want," he breathed. "Just tell me Beautiful. Tell me what you need, and I'll give it to you."

"I need…" her voice was leaving her, "I…, I'm so close…!" She bit his shoulder, arching her back once again in an attempt to find that last little bit of satisfaction. "Don…, Don," she sighed, "I need you." Her voice disappeared into a whisper.

Sliding a hand between them, Lamb passed his thumb over her clit. He brushed it softly: once, twice, and then on his third pass, he added his index finger and lightly pinched the soft button.

When she came, her voice huskily calling out his name, her walls fastened around his hardness, tightening around him; claiming him. With a guttural rumble, Lamb followed Veronica over the edge, releasing jet after jet of his essence inside of her.

It was a sweet release for both of them. Like finding the home they didn't know they had lost.

They were both, suddenly, momentarily, aware that Heaven had a place set aside for them.

**DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe **

"So, ummm, how many shotguns DOES Keith own?"

Veronica giggled, her head pressed against Don's chest, her arm around his waist. He had a hand on her hip, his never still fingers lightly stroking her skin.

"Two shotguns and two pistols."

"Fuck."

Propping her chin on the back of her right hand, Veronica eyed Lamb's face. Lifting her left hand from his waist she touched the dimple in his chin. "Having second thoughts already Sheriff?"

"I didn't actually have 'first thoughts', but no. No 'second thoughts'. Just wondering how I'm going to live through Keith finding out about my dating and 'being' with his daughter." He air quoted the word 'being'."

"My dad's a pussy cat! Wouldn't hurt a fly!" Veronica teased.

"Your dad is a good dad. A great dad. He's going to fucking castrate me."

Veronica stopped her admiration of Lamb's chin and lowered her hand slowly down his neck, chest, abdomen, until she reached the edge of the sheet that they'd found sometime during the night. Sneaking her hand beneath the top of the sheet she slid her hands around his thick shaft. He moaned softly. "Sweetie, I promise, I won't let my dad do anything to harm this little lamb."

"It's not little."

"No, of course it's not." She placed a light kiss on his nipple.

"Don't patronize me Mars."

"Yes sir." She placed another kiss on his nipple and let her hand leisurely stroke his hardening cock. "So…, we're dating?" She asked softly.

"It's normally considered wise to date the woman you're crazy about for at least a little while before you ask her to marry you."

Veronica shifted her head so that her head was lying on Lamb's chest again; a smile breaking across her face. "Oh. Well then, I guess I **really** better make certain my dad doesn't do anything to this little," she stroked his now, fully at attention shaft "uh, big, big lamb. May have to bribe him with the hope of future grandchildren, but…."

"Hey, whatever it takes to keep the jewels, and ME intact."

"Mmmm," Veronica dragged her leg across Don's thighs, "maybe you should give me another reminder of why I'm protecting the Lamb jewels."

"Anyone ever tell you you're greedy?"

"Shut up Sexy and kiss me!"


	5. Epilogue Future Plans

Doing Just Fine  
Epilogue Future Plans  
Author Devylish  
Fandom Veronica Mars  
Pairing: Veronica Lamb DoVe  
Words 395  
Rating PG  
Spoilers Season 1  
Warning None  
Disclaimer I own NOTHING…. And making me repeat this fact continually…, it's just CRUEL! **:D**

A/N: Unbeta'd  
**A/N2 I received a lot of requests for a 'continuation' of DJF, I thought I was done… but popular demand?? Lol… really, this is just a little 'added' epilogue.**

**DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe DoVe **

Veronica settled in against Lamb's shoulder in the front of the tow truck.

They were twenty miles from Neptune and Bubba – yes Bubba – the tow truck driver had country music blasting through the cab of his truck—a cigar 'politely' pointed out of the open window as they sped their way toward 'home'.

Glancing up at Lamb Veronica spoke just loudly enough for him to hear her. "You do realize that you more or less asked me to marry you… right?"

He looked down into her blues and smiled, his hand snaking tighter around her waist. "You do realize we were both butt-naked and in bed when I said that… right?"

She lifted her hand and punched him in the thigh. "Yeah well, we weren't in the 'throes' of passion, so, I'm holding you to it."

"Are you now?" He held her closer yet.

"I'm thinking three year engagement, then small, elegant wedding, maybe in Napa?"

"Three years?"

"Mmm hmm. Three years ought to give me enough time to decide if you're worth the walk down the aisle."

Bubba smirked but kept his eyes on the road and his fingers never lost their rhythmic tapping to Big and Rich's 'Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)'.

"See, Bubba agrees." Veronica smiled in Bubba's direction.

"Bubba, don't forget, I'm the one paying your bill here," Don raised his voice to be heard over the music. He then lowered his tone and mumbled against the top of Veronica's head, "As for you Mars," he caressed the exposed skin at her waist, "I will definitely make the walk down the aisle worth your while."

Veronica held up her hand and wiggled three fingers. "Three years Lamb."

Veronica didn't want to rush into anything; well nothing more than a marriage proposal and unexpected night of passion with her nemesis…. Who knows, maybe there had been a carbon monoxide build up in the cabin from the old fireplace/wooden stove; and maybe their revelations/realizations were due to a restriction of oxygen.

So, yeah…, better to put the light of day and some time between the events of the magical cabin and a 'marriage'.

Lamb nuzzled her ear, "It already feels like I've waited a lifetime for you… growing up… hating… forgiving… three years may kill me."

He couldn't see Veronica's smile, but he heard her words, "Okay, two years and nine months."


End file.
